Think he's being ironic. Nobody can afford tipping anywhere close to their own hourly income, even if it's at a very upscale place.Do you know people only tip at most $1 at random Asian restaurants that hire illegals? Part of the appeal of these Asian restaurants is that you don't really give them any tips. In fact, many of them don't even accept tips.
These aren't some upscale restaurants that can charge for the "experience".
The executive chef of a profitable upscale restaurant can likely make 50-80$ an hour. Those are talented chefs with education, years of experience and luck.